Large sinkhole forms in Bay Ridge

Here we go again.

A large sinkhole formed on 79th Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues during the late evening hours on Saturday, March 12 due to a broken house water line.

According to Bay Ridge resident and community activist Justin Brannan, staffers from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) and NYPD officers from the 68th Precinct quickly arrived on the scene.

“As a precaution National Grid has shut off gas service for a short time as well,” Brannan said last night. “National Grid was on site inspecting their infrastructure as DEP crews worked to excavate the leaking line which caused the cave in.”

“I’ve been in communication with the DEP and DOT regarding the sinkhole forming on 79th street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues,” Gentile said in a statement on his Facebook page. “Yesterday, DEP crews successfully excavated a leaking service line and shut the tap to 421 79th Street and issued a 10 Day notice to the homeowner to repair their water line.”

No one was injured and no cars were damaged, though many homes on the block did temporarily lose service.

“Over 300 lost water at 8 p.m. tonight. All service is restored,” State Senator Marty Golden’s Facebook page stated. “There were no injuries. Good job DEP and NYC Emergency Mgt. Phil Molina.”

Gentile updated residents on the next step. “With the leak resolved, water has been restored to all consumers on 79th Street. DEP will partially backfill the sinkhole and DOT is scheduled to restore the roadway Monday morning,” he said adding that the 68th Precinct will have a patrol car assigned to keep the street closed until Monday. “NYPD has been requested to install barricades around the excavation area and station a patrol car on the block to keep the street closed to traffic.”

Nearly four years ago, a large sinkhole formed on the same block due to a damaged sewer pipe, the same summer that a mammoth sinkhole formed on 92nd Street between Third Avenue and Ridge Boulevard.